Australia's COVID-19 lockdown also prevented about 400 deaths from other illnesses - research paper

FILE PHOTO: People wearing masks walk through the city centre as the state of New South Wales continues to report low numbers for new daily cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Sydney, Australia, August 28, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Social distancing and lockdowns in Australia not only slowed the spread of COVID-19, they saved the lives of about 400 people who would have been expected to died in June from respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia, a research paper published on Monday showed.

Examining Australia's most recent official fatality data, the Actuaries Institute said there was a shortfall between verified deaths and the number expected during the mid-winter month, which it concluded was due to a decline in respiratory illnesses.